Tim Hood and Tim Lemrick of Sidney Community School District (CSD) spoke about their experiences working with electric school buses at the September 25 Iowa School Energy Conference in Ames.
The district, according to Hood, acquired three electric school buses after receiving nearly $1.2 million from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Rebate Program in late 2022.
This funding followed passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was signed into law on November 15, 2021. The law allocated $1.2 trillion to address issues ranging from transportation and drinking/wastewater infrastructure to clean energy production and environmental concerns.
Hood noted that in addition to environmental and long-term financial savings, health and safety benefits played a role in Sidney CSD’s decision to pursue electric buses, as asthma and other health issues have been linked to diesel emissions.
Lemrick, Sidney CSD’s transportation director, explained that the electric buses are currently used for daily bus routes rather than longer activities trips, due to the somewhat limited mileage achievable on a single charge. A veteran diesel mechanic, Lemrick pointed out that he’d experienced the advantages of reduced maintenance (and associated costs) on the electric buses, and his analysis of operating costs has shown that each bus in his electric fleet is saving the district thousands of dollars in operating expenses over diesel buses each year.
On September 26, the Clean School Bus Rebate Program opened for 2024 . The application deadline for this funding cycle is January 9, 2025.
“It was fascinating to hear about Sidney CSD’s firsthand experience with electric buses,” said EAIS Executive Director Julie Weisshaar. “With all this practical information available to our conference attendees and such a timely re-opening of the funding cycle from the EPA, it makes me hopeful that other Iowa districts will pursue this opportunity as well.”
Abbie Christophersen, Energy Project Manager at the Iowa Economic Development Authority, added insight into other funding opportunities related to clean vehicles and energy. In addition to the Clean School Bus Rebate Program, Christopherson provided details on the Clean Heavy Duty Vehicles Program, the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit, the Commercial Clean Vehicle Tax Credit, and the Diesel Emission Reduction Acts on both the federal and state levels.
For more information, including important dates and complete application information on the 2024 funding cycle of the Clean School Bus Rebate Program, visit the EPA’s website here.